[Gadsden Family Home Movie Collection: Reel 133]

The Gadsden Company has a long and proud history of manufacture, dating back to its foundation by Jabez Gadsden in 1879. The company pioneered tinplate printing in Australia, and produced the first printed can the country had seen. By 1936 the company had twelve factories spread throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The company’s success allowed two generations of Gadsden family men – Stanley Gadsden and his son Ronald – to pursue their interest in amateur filmmaking (a relatively expensive hobby for the time). The two cameramen captured the family’s children, homes, many of its major events and holidays on film.

A collection of the films made by these Gadsden family photographers has been donated to ACMI by Chris Gadsden (Ronald’s son). The films comprise a fascinating assortment of imagery that provides a window into bygone days and customs.

This film is in two parts. The first shows downhill skiing at Perisher, a large ski resort in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. The second, a sports day at ‘Glamorgan’ kindergarten, now the Melbourne ‘prep’ campus of Geelong Grammar.

This film was originally made using 16mm film.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:00 skiing downhill past camera
00:01:22 skier walking cross country, building in background
00:01:29 child skiing
00:01:43 close up footage of ski lodge verandah
00:01:50 school boys lining up
00:02:03 running and wheelbarrow races on grass
00:02:54 high jump over bar on wooden blocks
00:03:13 closeup female teacher
00:03:17 bean bag race
00:03:48 running race with midway stop to put on painting smock
00:04:21 women and school girls (in hats) watch sports – hats and sunglasses
00:04:29 timekeepers desk